Marine lamp



Oct. 3. 1959 L. E. PERKINS 2,908,807

MARI'NE LAMP Filed March 5, 1958 'Tlc l- INVENTOR A OU/J' E. PEEK/NJ ATTORNEY United States Patent Perkins Marine Lamp & Hardware Corp., Brooklyn, N.Y., a corporation of New York Application March 5, 1958, SerialNo; 719,447 2 Claims. (Cl. 240-7.'5)

.The present invention relates generally to improvements in electric lamps, "and in particular it relates to improvements in electric marine lights.

Marine lights, particularly running lights such as bow and side lights, are subjected to high corrosive action by reason of the nature of the ambient conditions which generally include very high humidity and heavy salt water spray. The various electrical contacts and connections are thus rapidly corroded with resultant loss of efliciency and effectiveness. As a result, the conventional electric marine lamp requires frequent attention, repair and replacement.

It is thus a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved electric lamp.

Another object of the present invention is to provide animproved electric marine light.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved electric marine light, the electrical connections to which are fully protected from ambient corrosive influences.

A further'object of the present invention is to provide an improved electric marinelight of simple, inexpensive and rugged construction.

The above and other objects of the present invention Figure 5 is a top plan view thereof, partially broken away and partially in section, v

Ina sense, the present invention contemplates the provision of an electric marine light comprising a support frame having an outwardly directed opening formed therein; a lamp housing formed of transparent material engaged by said support frame and having a forward wall registering with said opening; a rearwardly directed tubular neck formed integral with said housing and communicating with the interior thereof, and an electric bulb socket supporting bracket separably registering with said neck and having a rearwardly directed tubular portion adapted to receive an electrical conductor connected to said bulb socket.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to Figures 1 through 3 thereof, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the numeral 10 generally designates a support frame and the numeral 11 a bulb housing. The support frame 10 is preferably formed of a corrosion-proof metal and includes a rear shell section 12 defined by a rearwardly downwardly ice directed tapering wall having a forwardly directed opening 13 formed therein- Vertical T-shaped members 14 are formed on the inside of shell 12, said members 14 including web portions and'horizontal cross bars 16, the outer forward edges of which define the side edges of the opening 13. Extending along the base of shell 12 is a horizontal peripheral flange 17 of'substantiallytriangular outline, the forward ends of flange 17 being formed in tegrally and joining a flange 18 of forwardly directed semicircular outline. Formed along the inner edge of flange 18 is an upwardly directed lip 19 which is connected to flange 18 by means of a'curved intermediate portion, a vertical slit 20 being formed along the medial line of lip 19 and the trailing portion of flange 18.

Projecting forwardly from .the upper part of shell'20 is a cap member 21 having a domed top wall 22 extending into the Wall of shell 12, and having a semicircular forward edge from which depends a skirt 23 which is slightly inwardly offset with respect to the upper edge of lip 19. Immediately rearward of cap 20 there is disposed a staff coupling member 24 of conventional construction which releasably engages the rearwardly inclined staff 26. The support frame 10 is mounted on the hull, cabin or elsewhere on the boat by means of suitable fasteners 27 in any well known manner.

Bulb housing 11 is preferably formed of glass or other suitable transparent material and includes a front cylindrical wall 30 of slightly greater than about its circumference, the wall 30 having circumferential ridges .32 and an intermediately circumferential arcuate surface 33 formed on its front face to define a cylindrical Fresnel lens divided by a medially located forwardly projecting vertical rib 34. Housing 11 has a flat rear wall 36, a slightly outwardly domed top wall 35 and a flat bottom wall 38.v The upper part of housing-11 nests within the support frame cap structure 22, the peripheral edge thereof snugly engaging the inner face of skirt 23. Vertical rib 34 registers with slot 20 in rib 19, and the outer borders of the housing rear wall 36 abut the forwardly directed edges: of the rib cross pieces 16 removably to retain housing 11 within support frame 10.

Extending rearwardly from and formed integral with housing back wall 30, and centrally located thereon, is a hollow tubular neck portion 37 communicating with the interior of housing 11, said neck 37 having a trailing annular wall 38 externally threaded, as at 39. A lamp socket supporting bracket 40 includes a forwardly projecting sleeve member 41, which registers with the neck 39, and an outwardly directed peripheral flange 42 disposed slightly forward of the trailing end of sleeve. 41, the front face of which confronts the rear face 38 of neck 37, awasheror gasket 43 of suitable res-ilient material being interposed between the rear face 38 anad the confronting face of flange 42. A centrally-apertured rear wall 44 is located at the trailing end of sleeve 41 and is provided with a rearwardly directed externally threaded tubular stub 46, having ;a forwardly inwardly tapered frustoconical wall 47.

An internally threaded locking collar 48 engages the threaded wall 39 of neck 37 and is provided at its trailing end with an inwardly directed peripheral flange 49 which abuts the rear face of sleeve flange 42, the inner edge of flange 49 being closely spaced from the trailing peripheral wall of sleeve 41. A tightening of the cap 48 effects a liquid-tight connection between bracket member 40 and housing neck 37 by way of the sealing gasket 43.

A bayonet type electric bulb socket 50 of conventional construction registers with the forward end of the sleeve 41 and is. secured in position by means of a lock screw, not shown, registering with the corresponding tapped opening formed in the bracket sleeve 41 and tightly engaging the outer surface of socket 50. The socket 50 is provided with a rearwardly directed contact supporting insulator base or block 52 located within sleeve 41, provided in the'well known manner with a pair of conductor engaging terminals 53 and conductor lock screws 54 engaging tapped openings formed in the terminals 53 and registering with aligned openings formed in block 52.. A two-conductor cable 56 extends through the opening of bracket tube 46 into sleeve 41, the leading ends of the conductors engaging and being locked in the respective terminals 53.

A gasket 58 of frusto-conical configuration and formed of a resilient material such as rubber nests within the tubular stub 46 and registers with the cable 56, the trailing end of the gasket 58 extending rearwardly of the tubular stub 46. An internally threaded cap member 59, having a central aperture 60 in its rear wall, engages the threaded tubular stub 46, the inner face of cap member 59 abutting the trailing wall of the resilient gasket 58. Upon tightening of cap 59 gasket *58 is compressed thereby reducing the diameter of its axial central bore to effect a hermetic engagement between confronting walls of cable 56 and washer 58 and the confronting walls of washer 58 and the stub inner wall 47 thereby to produce a liquid-tight seal between cable 56 and housing 11. An

electric bulb 61 is mounted in socket 50 and the cable 56 is connected to a source of energizing current in any well known manner.

In the event that electric bulb 61 burns out and requires replacement, support frame 10 is removed by disengaging fasteners 27. Housing 11 is then slipped from support frame 10 and bracket 40 and socket 50 separated from housing 11 by disengaging cap 48 from neck 37, and thereby permitting replacement of the bulb 61. A liquid-tight reassembly is effected by following these steps in reverse order. 7

Referring now to Figures 4 and of the drawings which illustrate another embodiment of the present invention as applied to marine side lights, numeral 70 generally designates a support frame and numeral 71 the bulb housing. Support frame 70 includes a rear shell portion 72 open at its front end at a side face thereof, and including a rearwardly tapered wall terminating in a trailing vertical flange 73. Projecting forwardly from the upper and lower edges of shell 72 are upper and lower cap members 74 and 76 respectively. Cap members 74 and 76 are of segment configuration, having a peripheral edge extending circumferentially for approximately 115 and provided with downwardly and upwardly directed lips 77 and 78 which are in vertical alignment with each other. A flat bridge member 79, substantially coplanar with flange 73, extends between the rear portions of caps 74 and 76. Suitable separable fasteners 80 extend through openings formed in flange 73 and bridge member 79 to permit securement of the support frame 70 to any desired location on the boat.

Housing 71, as in the previous embodiment, is formed of a transparent material, and includes a cylindrical front wall 81, having a Fresnel outer surface and a pair of substantially flat rear walls 82 and 83 respectively extending rearwardly from the wall 81 and intercepting to form a dihedral angle. Housing 71 is carried by support frame 70, the upper and lower ends thereof nesting within caps 74 and 76, and the upper and lower borders of the front wall 8 1 abutting the inner faces of lips 77 and 78. As in the previous embodiment, a tubular neck projects rearwardly from the housing wall 83 and supports the socket mounting bracket in the manner previously described. In all other respects the embodiment illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawing is similar to that of the earlier embodiment.

While there have been described and illustrated preferred embodiments of the present invention, it is apparent that numerous alterations and omissions may be made without departing from the spirit thereof.

I claim: Y

1. A marine lamp comprising a support frame having an outwardly directed opening formed therein which lies in a plane curved about a vertical axis and is provided with a peripheral border having a rearwardly directed face, a lamp housing integrally formed of a transparent material and located in said support frame, said housing having an outwardly cylindrically convex lens defining a front wall registering with said opening and having a peripheral border substantially abutting said opening border rear face and a vertically extending rear wall disposed posterior of said front wall and top and bottom walls, a rearwardly directed, externally threaded hollow tubular neck formed integral with said rear wall and communicating with the interior of said housing and having a rearwardly directed shoulder, a bulb supporting tubular bracket registering with said hollow neck and having a peripheral flange confronting said neck shoulder and an internally threaded collar engaging said threaded neck and having an inwardly directed annular flange urging said bracket flange into tight engagement with said neck shoulder, an externally threaded sleeve extending coaxially and rearwardly from said bracket and having an outwardly rearwardly tapered inner surface, an axially bored resilient frusto-conical plug nesting in said sleeve and having a base portion disposed rearwardly of the trailing edge of said sleeve, a conductor extending through said plug bore, and an internally threaded cap engaging said sleeve and compressing said plug to effect a tight engagement of said conductor, said cap having an opening formed in the end wall thereof to permit the passage of said conductor.

2. A marine lamp in accordance with claim 1, including a compressible gasket disposed between said bracket annular flange and said neck shoulder.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Meyers May 8, 1945 

